Server select issues
 

Cannot for the life of me get the server list to show up after logging in.

Some background on the situation...

Been playing for a bit from my apartment in northern CA, where we have Comcast cable. Eqemulator works fine, can log in, see the server list, everything. I even play up to 5 boxes at a time on my PC without issues. I have the eqhost file changed, using port 5998, etc. No issues with port forwarding.

The problem:
I moved back to my parents this week. They have AT&T DSL using a 2wire 2701hg-b router/modem combo. I get my PC set up and load up EQ, I am able to log in, but none of the servers show up on my server select.

I have tried the following unsuccessfully:
-Fresh install of EQ 3 times (yes, I have an actual legit copy). Followed the set up instructions each time. No luck. Zero for three on my attempts there.
-Delete EQclient.ini and re-run EQ. No luck.
-Run video settings wizard for EQ, then re-run EQ. No luck.
-Set up port forwarding on the 2701hg-b to open up 5998 on my IP. Nada.
-Scrapped the above and set up 2701hg-b in bridge mode (disables routing features and makes it solely a modem) hooked it up to my old linksys BEFW11S4 router and had that do all of my DHCP and NAT stuff. Set up port forwarding for 5998 to my IP on the linksys, still no luck.

I read on the forums that sometimes this is an issue with slow connections. Ran a speed test from my parents and the results were as follows.

Ping: 32ms
Download: 659kbps
Upload: 389kbps

Which isn't great compared to what I had up north, but isn't really all that bad.

The following worked:
-Took PC to friends house in Fresno, CA area. Hooked it up to their router, loaded up EQ, logged in. Friend and I were able to 3-4 box on both of our PCs without any real issues.

Anyone have any experience with this kind of issue using DSL? I know it's been posted here a number of times, but there has to be some kind of solution. I likely won't be moving back up north, so I'd like to get this resolved so I can get some play time in while I'm living at the parents'. Suggestions?

Update
 

Tried running DMZ mode. No luck.
Tried turning port forwarding off again. No luck.

are you running your own server or using someone else on the server list to connect with?

sounds like your eqemu_config.xml file has changed or need to fix
the short and long server name example of what i'm using
might have to change ip address. If you have reloaded eq
then you'll need to change the eqhost.txt file
to example 127.0.0.1:5998 what ever you want to use

<?xml version="1.0">
<server>
<world>
<shortname>lmw</shortname>
<longname>Lost My World</longname>

<!-- Only specify these two if you really think you need to. -->
<address>127.0.0.1</address>
<localaddress>127.0.0.1</localaddress>

<!-- Loginserver information. -->
<loginserver>
<host>127.0.0.1</host>
<port>5998</port>
<account></account>
<password></password>
</loginserver>

<!-- Sets the shared key used by zone/launcher to connect to world -->
<key>some long random string</key>

<!-- Enable and set the port for the HTTP service. -->
<http port="9080" enabled="true" mimefile="mime.types" />
</world>

<!-- Database configuration, replaces db.ini. -->
<database>
<host>localhost</host>
<port>3306</port>
<username>*****</username>
<password>*****</password>
<db>peq</db>
</database>
</server>

for loginserver.ini
###Your current configuration is as follows:

loginserver.ini:
[LoginServer]
loginserver=127.0.0.1
loginport=5998
worldname=Lost My World
worldaddress=127.0.0.1
locked=false
account=
password=

[WorldServer]
Defaultstatus=
Unavailzone=
[ChatChannelServer]

worldshortname=
chataddress=
chatport=

[LoginConfig]
ServerMode=Minilogin
ServerPort=5998

if trying to play on your own server
need to start minilogin.exe first
then the world and zone and all need to be allowed to
pass throw firewall .. might check the firewall settings as
well to make sure they are allowed and did you open
port 3306
port 9080
might check windows or linux firewall setting as well might be blocking you
it has nothing to do with isp or provider

and if running your own server and don't want others to hook up to it
then make sure both say miniserver and use 127.0.0.1 then do not use public .
or use the config file for server settings.

and when changing the router settings like you did make sure you plug the cable
from the modem to the first port on router marked #1 and plug your computer into
port #2

-Scrapped the above and set up 2701hg-b in bridge mode (disables routing features and makes it solely a modem) hooked it up to my old linksys BEFW11S4 router and had that do all of my DHCP and NAT stuff. Set up port forwarding for 5998 to my IP on the linksys, still no luck.

Weird
 

Trying to log into other servers, not my own.

Weird thing is I let the bridged 2701 and the router sit all night without doing anything and now I can log into any server I want without an issue. Sometimes it takes me 2-3 tries to get the list to come up, but nothing like it was before where I tried at least 50-60+times and never got it to.

Strange.

Ugh
 

Back to not being able to get to any servers again. This seems to be completely random. It was working for a bit and now it has stopped working completely.

Anyone have any insight as to why this might be occurring, seemingly at random?

I have AT&T DSL, and for a while early to mid last year, it worked fine. Then suddenly it stopped working, and I too got the blanks server select screen. After trying other connections via non AT&T DSL, I did find that I was able to connect.

Lately, the Login Server has been giving pretty-much everyone the blank server list quite a bit more than usual. Normally, if you keep trying it multiple times, it will eventually work. I assume Rogean is still working on a resolution for this issue.

Yeah I can't get the server list to show up. I'm on DSL. I've tried 50 times.

Loginserver will be replaced with a completely different codeset pretty soon.

YAY! I was going to start playing yesterday but I got everything loaded before I realized that the server was messed up. Hope it is fixed soon since I am eager to try this game out. Had friends tell me it was fun when they played it but I couldn't afford the monthly fee :D

I was able to get everthing loaded yesterday and played for a few hours. Now I cant even log in getting a time out everytime. I've tried about everything and nothing seems to help.

Turn off your modem, then your router, wait, then turn them back on, solves it for me ussually

It was working for a few days, now it's back to the blank server list. I've tried everything :(

Bump
Also have AT&T DSL, wondering how it was fixed or what. Everything works flawlessly on other internet connections. I get home, plug in, and get 25/25 expansions, log in fine, and no servers available. Quick connect sends me to blank server screen.

I don't think we know why some internet connections or PCs have this issue more than others, but we do know that the problem is somehow being caused by the Login Server itself. Since not everyone has the issue, there must be a way to correct it on the client side, but no one has ever given a sure fix for it as of yet. The only fix would be to fix the Login Server itself. I believe Rogean is still in the process of trying to get a better working Login Server, whether that be by fixing the old one, or by adjusting the new one.

I know this has been a known issue for a bit, and I know you guys are working hard, you always do. I'm just sad, I really love playing on P1999 and it makes me emosad when I can't connect. Someone in IRC helped me run Wireshark to trace the stream, and in the stream text it was showing partial server names amongst tech-speak. I'm going to try either a new modem or new ISP in the meantime, don't have many other options. I literally disabled everything I possibly could with my client side internet service, not all at once, but nothing made any difference.

Also I'm pretty sure this happened to me two years ago when I was trying to play eqemu with the same ISP, I remember because I only played with my friend at his house, then stopped playing becuase he moved, but I may be mistaken. Either way this bottom of the bucket DSL isn't cutting it.

This must be fixable on the LS side, as I'm not aware of this being an issue with the live login server.

I'm fairly certain it's user end crap, it has to do something with NAT transfer or something, everything's a bit hazy right now, I want to try a newer router first and go from there.

Edit: Otherwise I'm just going to pay for my own internet line into this house, it'd be like 40$ extra a month, but I wont have to deal with people stealing my bandiwthe.

I have the empty server select list problem in a huge way. Many days I've logged in 20 times in a row before getting it to work. Tonight, after getting hung and logging in again, it won't work after about 50 logins. Some people say it's an issue with a router blocking ports, but like another poster I've run wireshark and I do see packets reaching this computer on port 5998, containing what looks like a server list ("[A.0.8.0] SirensBane Classic EQBOTS.EN.US.........24.59.40.131..." etc. for many servers). Is there a definition of what these packets should contain? Ideally both directions since the client continues sending packets in the middle of this interaction, and I'm curious whether they mean anything more than "continue". One other curious thing - in the middle of the packets with the list the server does send one short (62 byte) packet with no readable strings in it.

Pfyon is correct. The server select structure sent to the client is off a bit (thats why you see random mass populations on servers and such or truncated server names). There is a fix but unfortunately the main Eqemu LS uses an older build and different code -- it isn't an easy hotfix problem.

I see that Pfyon's post is nearly three years old. Nothing has changed since then?

Also - if there is only 1 server I'm actually going to use, is there a way I can avoid having to use the server select screen and avoid the issue?

only if the server in question has an alternate login server running and your characters are tied to the account there.